


Not Broken Anymore

by queer_khaleesi



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Asexual Awareness Week, Asexual Carlos, Asexual Cecil, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 16:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2514230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queer_khaleesi/pseuds/queer_khaleesi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Asexual Awareness Week in Night Vale and City Council has grown especially aware of asexuals. Enough to celebrate them for their powers. Cecil has a special spot on the show just for asexuals, and Carlos is a featured speaker. But he's still uncomfortable talking about it himself, even though he desperately wants to help others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Broken Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort-of sequel to my earlier published fic, "A Word For That". While you don't have to read it first, there are a few hints and references back to that fic.

There was only so much to be done that day. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like today was going to run longer than normal, so Carlos was going to have to get busy. He fiddled with the black ring he donned on his right middle finger; he'd fashioned it himself a month or so earlier out of a mixture of obsidian and bloodstone once he began to feel comfortable with his own sexuality. He'd even made one for Cecil--Cecil had been so happy to receive it, jumping up and down and squealing about how Carlos was the greatest boyfriend ever.

Now, as Carlos had been told, was the start of Asexual Awareness Week--both in the outside world and Night Vale. After Carlos had told Cecil he was asexual--and Cecil had realized that he, too, was asexual--Cecil had announced on the radio that fact. He had been so happy; he must have really liked to be able to call himself something like that. So now Night Vale was aware of asexuals, and City Council had sent out letters to all the asexuals in town (how they had been able to figure out who was ace and who wasn't, Carlos had no idea) informing them that there would be a celebration in their honor. Something about how their resistance against the sexual attraction that enslaved the minds of allosexuals made them powerful, but not  _too_ powerful.

After Carlos had fashioned his own ace ring out of obsidian and bloodstone, City Council had insisted he make one for every asexual in town, which was what he was doing now. There were much more than he expected there to be, and he worried if he'd have enough time to make them all. He wasn't a ring maker! He was a scientist, but apparently City Council saw no difference.

He was fashioning one when his phone rang. Cecil. "Hello?" he said, placing his phone between the side of his head and his shoulder so he could continue to work.

"Carlos, hi, it's Cecil," said the caller. "I'm about to start the show and, well, see, there's going to be a section on asexuality, and I was wondering if you would like to speak."

"Oh." Carlos was shocked. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was talking about it yet--he had only just become comfortable in accepting it himself. How was he going to talk about it to the whole town? "I...I suppose," he said, not wanting to disappoint Cecil. "Are-are you going to talk as well?"

"Yes, of course! Oh, Station Management's shrieking something--I'm going to have to start now." Cecil cleared his throat and began to start the intro to the show.

Carlos put his phone on speaker as Cecil spoke. He looked at the boxes of rings he'd made earlier that day, and back to his own ring. His coming out had started a revolution among Night Vale; so many people had run out of their houses and screamed things like: "ACE! I'M ACE!" and "ASEXUAL! THAT'S A WORD!" It was incredible. It had brought tears to his eyes when he'd heard. And now everyone was celebrating asexuals, claiming that they had powers (Carlos had discovered earlier this week that asexuals could fly and occasionally cough up fire, but that wasn't the point). It was beautiful; it was something that would never have happened outside of Night Vale.

But he still couldn't find it in himself to talk about.

"...here to talk about asexuality himself, Carlos the Scientist!" Cecil was saying. "He's my boyfriend, and if it weren't for him, I, or any of you, never would have discovered that the amazing people we are have a name to call ourselves. Carlos, are you there?"

"Yes, Cecil, I'm here," Carlos said, trying hard to fight the knots in his stomach. He'd talked on the radio before, but never about something like this.

"So, Carlos, tell us: what is asexuality like for you?"

"Oh, man... That's a really broad question, Cecil. There's so much to it, really. It's just a lack of sexual attraction, but it's so much more than that. It's...hearing your friends talk about how attractive someone is and agreeing, 'Yes that person is beautiful, but why is that such a big deal?' It's wondering if the person you're dating is going to leave you for not having sex--that is, of course, if you're sex-repulsed like me, this doesn't apply to all aces. It's wondering if  _anyone_  on the queer spectrum is going to accept you, even if you're homoromantic. But, I mean, mostly, it's just wanting others to realize that you're not broken. Because you're not. But everyone makes sex out to be the most important thing, when it isn't. And none of us are broken."

"That was beautiful, Carlos," said Cecil.

"Thank you."

"I have another question. Some asexuals are sex-repulsed like you. What forms of intimacy would you recommend for them with their partners?"

Carlos chuckled to himself. "Cecil, you should know what I like," he said. "Cuddling is always nice. Massages, hugs, kissing. Anything that makes you comfortable and feel close to your partner. But don't feel obligated to go farther than you want. If your partner truly loves you, they won't force you to go too far. Like you, Cecil."

" _Carlos_! You're wonderful."

" _Stop_ ," Carlos laughed.

"Like I mentioned before, listeners," Cecil continued, "I hadn't known there was a word for people who didn't experience sexual attraction. It's not exactly something we ever talk about, is it? We just mention what we like or don't like. Having a word for it isn't just a neat experience; it's bringing a group of people together. So, fellow asexuals of Night Vale--Carlos, have you finished those rings?"

"Yes, Cecil, I have."

"Great. Asexuals of Night Vale, Carlos has made us all bloodstone ace pride rings. Wear them on your right middle finger to repel any allosexual magic or evil spirits that may threaten your way of life. They may also strengthen your powers of fire breathing, so that will be important, too. Anything else to say, Carlos?"

Carlos wondered if there was anything to say. He'd already said everything he thought he could. But then he remembered something and said: "What you do doesn't invalidate your asexuality. If you have sex, you're still ace. If you don't, you're still ace. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are valid."

"Thank you again, Carlos. For informing all of us."

As Cecil moved onto the next segment of the show, Carlos lingered on what Cecil had said.

Informing them. That's what he'd done. He'd done something great for the community, and he was being praised. His friends outside of Night Vale still didn't know he was ace. It seemed harder coming out as asexual than it had as gay.  _God bless Night Vale,_ he thought.  _God bless._

He'd gotten an ace pride tattoo earlier that week--a dragon with the colors of the asexual flag. It slithered up his skin and rested on his collarbone, breathing puffs of smoke and making low growling noises. He smiled to himself. He didn't feel broken anymore. He felt more complete, and that was a gift.


End file.
